The R1.22 billion Mbabane Bypass Project was initiated in 2003 by the Swaziland Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and partly funded by the African Development Bank.
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Swazi housing sites get a new look with Terraforce walls
The R1.22 billion Mbabane Bypass Project was initiated in 2003 by the Swaziland Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and partly funded by the African Development Bank.
The earthworks, undertaken by the main contractor, WBHO, resulted in resettlement of 287 homesteads of the Mangwaneni and Manzana informal settlements and a Full Resettlement Plan( FRP) was put in place.
Because some of the new housing sites were situated on very steep slopes, retaining walls were needed to prevent erosion and eventual collapse of numerous cut and fill slopes. The contract for the walls was awarded to EFS Construction, Terraforce licensee, Swaziland, which provided a turnkey service of manufacture and installation of the earth retaining walls.
The wall effortlessly follows contours present on site.
The Terraforce retaining wall system was chosen – in the particular the Terraforce M12.5 block that is exclusively produced in Swaziland – as it offers the distinct advantage of being cost-effective, plantable and easier on the eye than most alternate solutions available.
Says Michael Toepfer, owner, EFS Construction:“ Terraforce walls are also easily used in very limited space with seamless angle variations. Designed by Johan Joubert, senior principal civil engineer, the walls beautifully follow the earthwork contours, resembling a stone or boulder slope, while remaining permeable and eventually allowing plants – that were introduced by the owners at a later stage – to cover the blocks.”
Installing the blocks simultaneously with subsoil drainage, backfill and earth reinforcing.
The contract was valued at R2.4-million and successfully completed over six months in 2005 by a staff complement of 75 locally recruited labourers. In total 27 500 M12.5 blocks were installed at more than 10 sites.
Terraforce blocks are exclusively manufactured in Swaziland by EFS Construction.
Seen from above, prior to installation of storm-water channel above the wall.
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SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER 2016
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